First Grove GRT880 in NY hard at work

The first Grove GRT880 rough-terrain crane in New York City is working hard for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock (GLDD), one of the largest providers of dredging services in the United States. Since September 2017, GLDD has used the 80-ton crane for vessel repairing operations and marine equipment installation at its Staten Island facilities.

Before acquiring the GRT880, one of Grove’s latest rough-terrain models, GLDD had been using multiple cranes to do the same amount of work. This spike in efficiency was largely due to the GRT880’s versatility and maneuverability, which also made it ideal for working in the tight quarters of GLDD’s shipyard.

Stephan Brogna, yard manager for GLDD, said that the crane’s enhanced performance has already made an impact on the company’s bottom line.

“The GRT880 was the smallest, most compact crane we could find that offered the capacity we needed for the job,” he said. “It’s so versatile that we don’t need to use as much equipment during peak work periods. We can get the same amount of work done with the GRT880 as we did with multiple previous-generation cranes, which has helped us to achieve a solid return on our investment.”

With increased capacity at mid-range and maximum radii, the GRT880 is more versatile than competing rough-terrain cranes. It boasts up to 16 percent greater capacity at full radius, 13 percent greater capacity in mid-range applications and 27 percent greater capacity at close radii.

“The GRT880’s telescopic boom also played a crucial role in our decision to use it, since some of the materials we’re lifting are substantially heavy, weighing up to 35-tons,” Brogna said. “On a crowded job site like this, it can be difficult to move heavy equipment efficiently, but the GRT880 makes it easier.”

The GRT880’s 135-foot main boom was designed using Grove’s latest formed boom technology, which utilizes laser welding as opposed to the traditional submerged-arc process. With a full complement of offsettable boom extension and insert options, the crane’s main boom tip height of 146.2 feet can be increased to as much as 223 feet, offering outstanding reach on the job site.